Trap.



C. E. SOIHAN.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-II. IQIT.

Apr.. 3% w18.

shnnnvA www y,

naar. n. sornnn, on Hannan/r, NEBRASKA.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3U, 1912.

Application iiled December 11, 1917. Serial No. 206,585.

Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Y Trap; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled. in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

'lthe invention relates to improvements in traps.

One of its objects is to provide a device of this character which is particularly adapted for the trapping of rats, gophers and the like, the device being capable of having its jaws set and inserted in the rat or gopher home, so as to trap the animal as it approaches the outlet of the hole.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trap of this kind which cannot be drawn into the hole by the animal after the latter has been caught.

Still another object is to provide a trap, inexpensive and simple in construction and which will be comparatively free from the danger of inflicting injury upon the person engaged in setting the same. j Y

Other objects will appear in the detailed description whichV follows.

1t is to be understood that the invention is not to be confinedto the exact construction herein disclosed, the right being reserved to make any changes or alterations 'falling within the scope of what is claimed.

1n the drawings g Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device closed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device closed. Y 4

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the trap with the jaws open. rlhis elevation is taken on the opposite side of Fig. 1.

Fig. et is an end elevation of the device with the jaws open.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of mounting the strap in which the tripping lever moves.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bar rectangular in cross section, near whose longitudinal center a plate 2 is rigidly attached by means of rivets 3, this plate projecting laterally from the bar 1. A second bar 4: also rectangular in cross section is pivotally attachednear its longitudinal center to the plate 2, a rivet 5 effecting the pivotal attachment close to the top of the plate 2. Both bars, on the same side of the plate 2 are provided with jaws at their ends. VThe jaw on the end of the bar 1 is formed of two angular .plates each of which has -a straight leg 6 of the same crosssectio-nal area of the bar, the legs 7""'of these plates lying in vertical planes at right angles to the planes of legs 6 but curving upward and having formed at their extremities and on their upper edge the triangular projections 8 which are designed as teeth. The two plates are connected to the bar 1 by means of rivets 9 which pass through the legs 6 and through the bar and rigidly secure both plates to the bar. At the extreme end of the bar 1, a tapered lateral projection 10 is formed which serves the `purpose of a tooth.`

j The jaw formed at the end of the barstalso comprises two angular plates which are secured near the end of the barby means of rivets 14' which pass through their straight legs 11 and through the bar. The legs 12 of these plates, however, curve back in the direction of the length of the bar and also turn downward terminating in tapered projections 15 ,which are designed as teeth. rlfhe extreme end of the bar 4L is lprovided with a tapered lateral projection 13, downwardly extending and also .designed to act as a tooth. A

Close to the end remote from that to which the jaw Vis attached, the bar 1 has pivotally connected to it the lever 16 which is loosely connected to the bar by means of the rivet 17, the lever at its u per end eecting a pivotal engagement with the arm 1.8

and the lever 16 is edectedby means of a strap 21 which straddles the lever cross wise and is seeuredto 1the ber by menne ef small extensions 22 f which pass through vholes formed in the bar and are'bent dow-n on the opposite side thereof. The extensions 22 are of less width than the body of the strap and the shoulders thus formed where` the extensions adjoin the strapy sufhce to held the 'Strap Snaeed trein the bar 4L Se.'

- lneene' et a spring 2t This Spring leemes tire @renate lege, one e'tteebed en either gliele et the ber 1 'and held in plane by a rivet iand washers 26, The two legs stresldlethe'br tand are eenneeted to the lattertbreegh tbe hele .2.7 and by the treneverse portieri yyheli eenneets the two legs tegetllen- The Qneratlen ef theY devine le ebyiene from Ythe `forageing description taken in eeninnetlen with .the elravinge- The leve are Separated by bringing the refer ende ef the here t and "l Vtogether and are retained in this Separated ieeetien against the pres sure of the spring Q4; by the lever 16 whose netele is. made te engage .the upper edge et :the Strap' 21;' The inve vill .nelnein seperated Vuntil e. Pressure 1S ,applied en `the leeleeel enel et the arm 18, when the neteb *.23 will be released frein engagement with, the etten vill, vllentbe Spring 21 Will operate to close the and, if the pressure ein .the anale has been exerted by nn animal Standing between tbeiaiye, the latter will be caught when they are closed by the anfing- I f "1t will be ebseryed that the trap may be set'at the end Vremote from the'jaws by ennnly breesingthe 'ende ef the bere 1V and fltegetber nneleeetng tbe Yengagement ef ,noten Zyvitli'tileetfap 2l- `Tlle aber dental springing et the trap is, therefore, net likely te result in injury/te the persen engaged in] setting it einee ltV is nnneeeseary te handle the jaws in efteeting the Setting epenatenfY I y lhe deyee le eleeigneel pel'tenlenly fery tllel trapping et genhere enelethel pnedntery grenntl 'animale and, ie intended te be n- Serteel in tbellfele el the anlnel with `the jaws closed, and inwhich the jaws are set by bringing the neer ende et' tbe bere 1 and .releasing the bar 4f and permitting the jaws to close, thus catching the animal between the teeth of the two jaws.

A' By scraping the loose dirt of the mound away down to the hole the trap may be j easily set in the dirt without the use of a spadeg The lever 16 is of greater height than the two jaws when they are open and, should an animal caught bythe jaws be not killed or seriously disabled, it would be im Jossible for him' to pull the trap into the hole, since the length of the lever 16 would preclude the entrance of the rear end of the trap into the hole.

Y The bar 1 close to its rear end is provided with a hole 28 by means of which it may have a chain attached to it, so that the trap may be anchored in case it is used in the enea' What is claimed is:

1. trap comprising a stationary bar having a lateral projection near its longitudinal center, said stationary bar having a jaw formed at one end, a movable bar pivotally secured to the lateral projection, 'said movable bar Valso havin a jaw lformed at one end, a lever pivoter? near the opposite end of the stationary bar, a strap secured to the opposite end of the movable bar in surrounding relation to the lever, the lever having a notch near its pivotcd end adapted to be engaged by the strap, an arm pivotally connected with the free end of the lever and slidably supported on the lateral projection, said arm terminating` in a depending oval loop portion extending transversely between the movable and stationary bars, and a spring means connected between the two 'bars and tending normally to keep the jaws together.

2. 1n a trap, a stationary bar provided with an upright between its ends, one end of the stationary bar having a transverse jaw having its lateral parts curved partially upwardly and terminating in points, a second bar fulcrumed on the upright above the stationary bar, one end of the fulcrumed bar having secured thereto plates provided with lateral parts curved downwardly laterally and rearwardly and terminating into points and constituting a movable jawto cooperate with the first jaw, straps secured to the opposite end of the second b ar, a lever pivoted to the stationary bar and having a notch to engage said strap, an arm pivotally connected'with the free end of the lever and slidably supported on the upright, said name to this specification in the presence of arm Jlermnating in a epending oval 10152113 tWo subscribing Witnesses. eXten ino' transvelsel f etween the moya e and stathnary bars, nd spring means oon- CARL E' SOTHAN 5 neeted between the two bars and acting to Witnesses:

normally keep the jaws together. FRED T. CARSTEN, In testimony whereof I have signed my CHAS. F. BUCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of 'atents,

Y Washington, D. C. 

